Bill Text: HI SB910 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Public Housing.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-12-10 - Carried over to 2022 Regular Session. [SB910 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2022-SB910-Introduced.html
|
THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
910 |
|
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
|
|
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to public housing.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that public housing communities disproportionately lack broadband and digital equity and access to quality educational opportunities and healthcare services. This disparity has been exacerbated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as school, work, and healthcare have shifted to online distance learning, telecommuting, and telehealth, respectively. The lack of broadband and digital equity may cause school children to drop out of school due their inability to participate in distance learning activities or complete homework assignments for which an internet connection is required. The legislature further finds that because distance learning is likely to continue through 2021 and possibly into 2022, a continued lack of broadband and digital equity in the State will expand educational disparities throughout the State.
The legislature notes that Virginia has implemented initiatives to increase access to broadband internet statewide, including the more rural areas of Virginia. Similarly, the legislature believes that an important first step for Hawaii to expand broadband access to all residents of the State is to improve the internet speeds and connection quality provided to the residents of the Kuhio Park Terrace and Puuwai Momi public housing complexes. Currently, in the Kuhio Park Terrace public housing complex, which comprises two, sixteen-story towers, the ground floors of the complex are able to access the internet while some higher floors cannot.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require the Hawaii public housing authority to establish a pilot program to ensure that all housing units in the Kuhio Park Terrace and Puuwai Momi public housing complexes are provided with sufficient internet speeds and connection quality.
SECTION 2. (a) The Hawaii public housing authority shall establish a pilot program to ensure that the internet speeds and connection quality throughout each housing unit in the Kuhio Park Terrace and Puuwai Momi public housing complexes are sufficient for school children to participate in distance learning activities without negatively impacting the use of the internet by other residents.
(b) The Hawaii public housing authority shall contract with one or more private entities to install any necessary upgrades to the Kuhio Park Terrace and Puuwai Momi public housing complexes' internet infrastructures; provided that the Hawaii public housing authority shall issue a separate contract for installation at each complex; provided further that any contract executed in accordance with this Act shall be exempt from chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes.
(1) An assessment of the pilot program, including:
(A) Whether the pilot program was successful in extending access to broadband internet to all school children and residents at Kuhio Park Terrace and Puuwai Momi public housing complexes;
(B) An assessment of the speed and quality of the broadband infrastructure installed at each complex; and
(C) The number of school children and residents who benefitted from the pilot program;
(2) An assessment of the feasibility of extending the pilot program to other public housing complexes statewide; and
(3) Any other findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation.
(d) As
used in this Act, "school children" means children attending public
or private schools in grades kindergarten through twelve and residing in either
the Kuhio Park Terrace or Puuwai Momi public housing complexes.
(e) The
pilot program shall cease to exist on June 30, 2023.
SECTION 3. There
is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $
or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2021-2022 and the
same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to be deposited into the public housing
revolving fund.
SECTION 4. There
is appropriated out of the public housing revolving fund the sum of $
or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2021-2022 and the
same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for the
Hawaii public housing authority to contract with one or more private entities
to install any necessary upgrades to the Kuhio Park Terrace and Puuwai Momi
public housing complexes' internet infrastructures.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by
the Hawaii public housing authority for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2021.
|
INTRODUCED BY: |
_____________________________ |
|
|
|
Report Title:
HPHA; Public Housing; Internet; Pilot Program; Distance Learning; Kuhio Park Terrace; Puuwai Momi; Appropriation
Description:
Requires the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to establish a pilot program to ensure that all housing units in the Kuhio Park Terrace and Puuwai Momi public housing complexes are provided with sufficient internet speeds and connection quality. Appropriates moneys.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
